Don’t Give Up: When Things Don’t Go Our Way, It Might be a Gift

A lot of people tend to think, when they are pursuing their dreams, that when things aren’t going the way they “want” or the way they “planned,” that they should give up. Many people want to give up when things get a little tough. And it’s interesting to me to see how easy it is for people to believe the negative voice in their heads, far more than their positive and neutral voices.

It’s almost as if we are so afraid of getting our hearts broken by our dream not coming true that any sign of setback, letdown or unmet expectations are an excuse to stop trying.

But see, the thing is, walking on this journey will very rarely ever meet your “expectations.” The world speaks in paradox. What looks big, is usually small; what looks scary is usually joyful; what seems impossible is very much achievable and what seems hard can be easy. It’s just being able to understand the paradoxical nature of this journey as well as having the emotional fitness and humility to not have to buy into the thought that everything has to go “your way.”

The Grace of Letting Things Be

Instead of judging a situation as “bad,” a “setback” or a “quitting point,” look at it this way: See Grace.

You have no idea how protected, guided and looked after you are. When you look back at this moment in a few weeks, months or years, you very well will look back and see a blessing instead of a setback. So train your mind to refrain from judging a situation. Believe in grace. Instead of running away from your dreams, just sit with the uncomfortable feelings, meditate, take care of yourself and let them pass through you.

Do not run away because it is uncomfortable. Stay because it is uncomfortable. Let your fears be purified by facing them. Let your judgments fade by not reacting to them and seeing how they play out over time. Humble yourself and know that things don’t have to go your way for you to be happy. There could be a way that is being guided from this journey that is much greater than you could ever imagine.

Emotional fitness, humility and a grace-filled mind will take you where you need to go. Let go of the judgments. Let go of the expectations and just show up fully with whatever you are feeling today. But do not turn back. Stay in the fire. You are not being burned; you are being purified.

Crystal Griffiths has been the Marketing Director for Hugger Mugger Yoga Products since 2007, she is currently going to Salt Lake Community College for her Marketing Management Degree.
Her personal blog is http://totaltrinity.wordpress.com/. “I live life by balancing what I want with an honest appreciation for what I already have. Living outside the realm of what's normally considered acceptable or appropriate”................